G7: Energy, food security & terrorism on Modi’s agenda
Ahead of his visit to Germany for the G7 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he will exchange views with the leaders of the bloc and its partners on issues such as energy, food security, counter-terrorism, environment and democracy.
Modi is visiting Schloss Elmau in southern Germany on June 26 and 27 for the summit of the G7, a grouping of the world’s seven richest nations. The G7 leaders are expected to focus on the Ukraine crisis that has triggered geopolitical turmoil besides fuelling a global food and energy crisis.
Modi is attending the G7 summit following an invitation by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The summit is being hosted by Germany in its capacity as the chair of G7. “In an effort to strengthen international collaboration on important global issues impacting humanity, Germany has also invited other democracies such as Argentina, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa to the G7 Summit,” Modi said in a statement ahead of his visit. “During the sessions of the Summit, I will be exchanging views with the G7 counties, G7 partner countries and guest International Organisations on topical issues such as environment, energy, climate, food security, health, counter-terrorism, gender equality and democracy,” he added.
Modi said he was looking forward to meeting leaders of some of the participating G7 and guest countries on the sidelines of the summit. The PM said he was also looking forward to meeting Chancellor Scholz again after the “productive” India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) last month. “While in Germany, I also look forward to meeting members of the Indian Diaspora from across Europe who are contributing immensely to their local economies as also enriching our relations with European countries,” he said. Modi leaves for Germany on Saturday night.
From Germany, Modi will travel to the UAE on June 28 to pay his condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former President of the Gulf nation.
About 3,500 protesters gathered in Munich on Saturday as the Group of Seven leading economic powers prepared to hold their annual gathering in the Bavarian Alps in Germany, which holds the G-7’s rotating presidency this year.
Police said earlier they were expecting some 20,000 protesters in the Bavarian city, but initially fewer people showed up for the main protest which started at noon,according to a media report.
Fifteen groups critical of globalisation, from Attac to the environmental organisation WWF, will participate in the demonstrations. Their various demands include a phase-out of fossil fuels, the preservation of animal and plant diversity, social justice on the planet and a stepped-up fight against hunger.
“My demands for the G-7 are, that they have a clear commitment to energy transition, that is the exit from fossil fuels, all forms of fossil fuels, by 2035 at the latest, so we can stop financing wars and conflicts,” said Kilian Wolter from the environmental group Greenpeace who participated in the protest on Munich’s Theresienwiese lawn in the city centre.
Earlier on Saturday, members of the antipoverty organisation Oxfam posed at a different Munich protest wearing oversized heads of the G-7 leaders demanding more global equality.
“We need concrete action to cope with multiple crises of our times,” Oxfam spokesman Tobias Hauschild said. “That means the G-7 have to act immediately. They have to fight hunger, inequality and poverty.”
Germany’s top security official called on protesters to refrain from violence. “I expect all demonstrators to protest peacefully, not to hurt anyone and not to destroy any cars or stores,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated. A total of around 18,000 police officers are deployed around the summit site and the protests.
The G-7 leaders — from the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan are expected to start arriving in Germany on Saturday afternoon and will tackle issues such as Russia’s war on Ukraine, climate change, energy and the looming food security crisis.
“Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine is also having an impact here,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in his video podcast on Saturday referring to rising prices for groceries, gas and energy.
The chancellor said the G-7 leaders would discuss the current situation triggered by the war “and at the same time ensure that we stop manmade climate change.”
The G-7 summit will take place in Bavaria’s Elmau from Sunday through Tuesday. After the meeting concludes, leaders of the 30 countries in the NATO alliance will then gather for their annual summit, which is being held Wednesday through Thursday in Madrid.